Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Practice-Based Research Network in Public Health

The Foundation's initiative, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Practice-Based Research Network in Public Health, was designed to develop a practice-based research network for public health to help stakeholders understand how public health systems research can be used to improve public health performance and impact.Through a study focusing on the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STI), the Florida Public Health Practice-Based Research Network, led by the University of Florida, is evaluating unit costs of public health service delivery and examining the effects of delivery system variations on such costs as: (1) the standardization and centralization of programs, (2) the centralization of information technology and human resources systems, (3) economies of scale related to population size of health department jurisdiction, (4) local tax and other revenue support for CHD services, and (5) responsiveness to local community governance. Using standard conceptual and analytical approaches employed in cost analysis, the study will focus on comparisons of variations within Florida. Evidence generated through the study will be summarized in a final report and translated for practice audiences to facilitate informed decision-making, ultimately enhancing both delivery systems for public health services and support efforts toward achieving optimal, equitable health outcomes.